


Permission

by AngelofDarkness1605



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:12:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3242558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelofDarkness1605/pseuds/AngelofDarkness1605
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Real estate mogul Mr. Gold fully intends to start a major project at the outskirts of Storybrooke. Mayor Belle French makes very clear that she does not approve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When New York City based real estate mogul Gold arrived in the sleepy town of Storybrooke, Maine, he expected to leave several hours later with a building permit to develop for at least a billion dollars worth of property in the forest surrounding the town.

No, he didn't just expect to be successful, like he always is. He was  _convinced_ that he would get what he wanted, like he always does. The possibility of failing didn't occur to him, simply because there was no such chance.

What he certainly did not expect was to be told in no uncertain terms that he and his 'money grabbing ways' weren't welcome in the small town, that he would have to get over the mayor's dead body - and over those of all other inhabitants of the town – to get the permission he was counting on.

What he  _especially_ didn't expect was Mayor French to be a slip of a woman, a young and  _beautiful_ woman, out-pacing him on her towering heels when she showed him around Main Street and told him that she wouldn't allow anyone to threaten that peaceful, content existence.

"But think of the economical boost that my project will give to this town," Gold exclaims when they head into town hall after their little tour. "Think of the tax revenues! Don't you want a higher turnover for your local entrepreneurs? Don't you want a bigger budget for your departments?"

"I want this town to be peaceful and quiet, like it has always been," she snaps, turning around so abruptly that he almost bumps into her. "What I  _don't_ want is to have your greedy claws making this town unlivable for its original inhabitants. They may not fit your ideal income groups and demographics, but they're  _my_ people. I won't have our town poisoned by your investments."

Gold has never been made clearer that his projects are unwelcome, and certainly not in such a direct way. Still, there is something strangely pleasant about arguing with Mayor French like this, something about the sparkle in her eyes and the stubborn set of jaw that has him continuing the pointless argument with barely concealed glee.

"What about  _you,_ Madam Mayor," he says, his voice the smoothest of velvet. "Is there anything  _you_ want? Anything that might help sway your opinion? How about a pool in your backyard?"

"You vile, _vile_  man!" she replies, her voice low and shaking with barely contained anger while she all but pokes him in the eye with an accusing finger. "To think that you can  _bribe_ me... what sort of person do you think I am?!"

 _An unusually open and selfless one_.

"You don't like pools?" he asks, all fake innocence, studying his immaculate fingernails. "How about a private but  _considerable_ donation to the public library you spoke of so fondly?"

"How often do you need to be told  _no_ before it finally enters that thick skull of yours?" she yells, her hand twitching at her side as if she has to hold back the urge to throw her handbag at him.

She inhales raggedly and he discreetly does the same thing, trying not to get ahead of himself, if only because this is so much more fun if he has the presence of mind to say those things that will get the most outspoken reaction from her.

"Ashley, could you please cancel my meetings for the rest of the day? I'm afraid I'll be busy for the rest of the afternoon teaching this man some lessons in politeness and respect. Put all my phone calls on hold. Take the rest of the day off, if you like."

Only then Gold becomes aware of a mousy woman which must be her secretary. She sits at the opposite side of the room that the mayor leads him into and stares at the two of them with obvious discomfort. He sneers at the woman who appears to be so much unlike her boss, chuckling when she recoils from him for as far as her chair and the wall behind her allow her.

The mayor  _growls_ when she follows her secretary's fearful gaze back to him.

"Gold, in my office. NOW."

"That's 'Mr. Gold' to you, Madam Mayor," he says flippantly, slowly following her through the door she throws open.

"No,  _Gold_. Such civility is reserved for people who have at least an inkling of respect for others, whether they are in power or not. I hate to break it to you, but you don't exactly appear to belong in that category."

"Are you certain you don't need a donation, dearie?" he says, pretending to look at her nicely decorated and far from shabby office with disgust.

Really, verbally skirmishing with Mayor French is infinitely more fun than outsmarting the likes of Midas and Spencer, his previously favorite pastime.

"As I said before, will you stop dearie-ing me, you  _hopeless_ man? And as I also said before, stop attempting to bribe me when you're at it!"

The obnoxious retort he planned is stuck in his throat when she angrily takes off her long coat, revealing the shortest skirt and tightest blouse he has ever seen on a woman in any remotely professional capacity.

He almost wishes it would make her seem cheap or tasteless, or at least somewhat less intense, but the opposite is true. Her daring outfit makes her, if possible, only more formidable.

Gold  _does_ wish that he could take his eyes off her, stop drinking in the sight of her as her chest heaves, her slightly spread legs planted firmly on the floor, her stance despite her ridiculously high heels as steady as his own.

Her single quirked eyebrow informs him that she knows that he's looking at her rather differently than before, and that he very much likes what he sees.

To his surprise, she doesn't comment on his sudden speechlessness, hanging up her coat instead. He needs to make a comeback before she changes her mind.

"And what about your successor,  _Mayor_ French? Would he or she be equally opposed to my reasonable plans, which are guaranteed to bring prosperity to this quaint little town?"

"Are you seriously implying that you might arrange for my political downfall just so you can try to bribe this town's next mayor in a similar way?!"

"Stranger things have happened," he shrugs, taking off his coat as well. It's getting strangely warm in the by no means small or crammed office.

"Has anyone ever told you what an insufferable asshole you are?" she asks, completely ignoring his implied threat in favor of launching another verbal attack of her own, standing tall with her hands on her hips.

"Frequently," he says, hanging his coat at the only available space, namely right next to hers. He doesn't allow himself to note that he likes the sight of their two coats hanging there like that, as if they belong together. "But never to my face. And never more than once. I make certain of that."

"I can imagine," she mutters darkly. "Dare I ask what sort of fate might befall those brave souls?"

Without awaiting his reply, she settles herself behind her desk and she retrieves what appears to be a chocolate bar from one of the drawers of the desk. She doesn't offer anything to him.

"Nothing I can be tied to, I assure you," he says, brushing non existing dust off his sleeve and sitting down in the chair opposite her without invitation.

"Well, that's a relief," she replies, the words dripping with sarcasm.

Gold has to hold back his grin of delight. She's half his age, the mere mayor of a small, rural town, and she's matching him step by step at his own game, the very one where no one ever came close to beating him.

This is better than signing a ten billion dollar deal.

Watching him unblinkingly, she unwraps the chocolate and takes a generous bite from the bar, sliding down in her chair a rather inelegant way. That movement isn't as graceless though as the way she munches audibly on the chocolate... and he's loving all of it, in a most peculiar way that he can't quite define.

"No one in this town thinks differently about your plans than I do, just so you know," she says, right after taking another large bite of the chocolate. "There was a referendum earlier this week. The vote was unanimous against the plans you sent me, the ones you for some reason are still trying to change my opinion about."

"Did you ever think about a career at a private company, Madam Mayor?" he asks, his tone just as light but his motivation considerably more sincere than a moment ago.

He inwardly smirks as she's visibly taken aback for a brief few seconds, not expecting the change of topic just like he hoped she wouldn't.

"Why, are you offering me a position at your company,  _Mr._ Gold?"

"I might. I could definitely use someone like you."

"Give me one good reason why I should even consider such an offer," she says, swallowing the last bit of her chocolate and neatly binning the wrapper.

"I'll give you a million good reasons," he says matter-of-factly, watching her reaction very carefully. He hasn't enjoyed himself this much in decades. "Each year."

She snorts in a considerably unladylike manner, then throws her head back, laughing out loud. To Gold's horror and bewilderment, the sound goes straight to his groin.

The column of her throat, all flawless pale skin from her chin to her collar bone, and from there further down to the valley between her breasts, isn't helping matters.

"You can't be serious," she says, still laughing. "You're offering me one million dollar a year to work for you?"

"Two million a year," he says tightly, more serious with her than he's ever been, even when he was still under the impression that she would get him the building permit he has his eyes on.

"You really aren't kidding, are you?"

"I'll draw the contract up right here and now if you're interested," he says, attempting in vain to will away the twitching in his nether regions.

"Why on earth would you want  _me_ to work for you?! What would you even want me to do?"

 _Everything_.

"A person of your persuasion, intelligence and integrity would be a near invaluable asset to my company, in any department. Design, legal, finance... take your pick. Something tells me you'd excel in any field."

"Flattery gets you nowhere."

"I'm well aware of that."

Gold may succeed in keeping his gaze on her face rather than on the breasts he finds himself craving to look at, but her eyes and lips fuel his desire just as much, both of them equally fiery.

At least the lower half of his body is hidden safely from her line of sight now that they're sitting on either side of her desk. Gold can only hope that he'll have regained full control over himself by the time he is required to stand up again.

"So that's what I would be to you? An  _asset_?"

_No – you'd be so much more than that._

"Yes," he says, afraid that he'll betray his condition if he says more. Besides, he doesn't know any longer whether he truly would want her to work for him with his newfound, unwanted attraction for her in mind.

She just shakes her head in apparent disbelief. Gold is both relieved and disappointed that she doesn't take up on the offer, one of which he knows only too well that very few would have refused.

Then again, it's probably for the best. After all, he's got his only increasing  _problem_ to consider. He dreads to imagine what it might be like to have her around him all day in his regular life back in New York. Yes, it's nothing but a relief that he'll never have to.

"Now listen carefully to me, Gold," she says, to his complete bewilderment and shock standing up behind her desk, planting her palms firmly on its surface to lean towards him. "I don't know how you do things in your company or whether these are normal practices in New York. But where I come from, the town that I protect against men like you, we are taught the value of honesty and altruism rather than the value of money."

Having Mayor French look down on him, fire burning in her eyes, he holds his breath. More than being terrified that she's going to find out about the very unfortunate condition he's in, he's spell-bound by everything about her.

Gold might as well have stopped breathing altogether when she reaches for his tie, yanking it towards her so they are almost forehead to forehead when she continues talking.

"You may not have experienced it before, but there are limits to what money can buy you, Gold."

Her point has become thoroughly true indeed, if only for a whole different reason than she thinks. For there is no doubt in his mind that none of his wealth would be of any use to him if he ever would have the courage to pursue her romantically rather than professionally.

It only makes him want her more.

"I don't know how I can make that any clearer to you than this," she adds, staring at him as if she hopes to be able to change his reliance on money by sheer force of will.

He has no idea whatsoever what she's saying though, for her face is mere inches from his and he can smell the chocolate on her breath. As if that isn't bad enough yet, some of her wilder curls are tickling his skin and her blouse is gaping open at the exact level of his face now that she bends down like this.

Gold would at least make an attempt to cover himself with his hands as discreetly as possible, if only he still would be able to move.

"You have made your point very clear, Madam Mayor," he manages, all but squeaking the words while staring at a point on the wall behind her. It's ironic, really, how he used to think until very recently that walking away without his required building permit was the worst that could possibly happen today.

"I'm not entirely convinced that you..."

When her voice falters all of a sudden, Gold finally dares to meet her gaze, following it to find her staring at his crotch.

"What the  _hell_?!"

"I... I am sincerely sorry for this," he manages, closing his eyes in embarrassment. "This is so inappropriate that I can't begin to..."

"So you want to fuck me, is that it?" she asks, interrupting him, her voice curiously flat. "Do you want to bend me over my own desk and possess me until you've taken your pleasure? To fuck me physically now that you're failing to fuck me metaphorically?"

"No," he breathes, only throbbing more fiercely at the expletive unexpectedly rolling off the lips he longs to feel against his own, rather than at the image she describes. "No, I don't want  _that_."

There's no more denying that he wants her,  _badly_ , but not without the fiery and bold abandonment she has displayed so far... not without her wanting him just as much.

Breathing in deeply, he pauses for a moment, choosing his words carefully as he watches her, painfully aware that he has never been attracted like this to anyone... and that he has no idea whatsoever how he might make her feel the same way.

"I want to make love to you in your bed," he continues, looking deeply into her eyes and hoping that she'll sense just how much he means this, "to pleasure you until you might deem me worthy to be touched by you as well."

Gold doesn't know how exactly, but something almost tangibly changes between them as soon as he has spoken those words.

"I don't think we'll make it to my bed in this state," she says, her expression softening. "But we can certainly make a start here, for as far as I'm concerned."

"What are you saying?!" he asks, his throat suddenly dry and his croaked voice painfully hopeful. "You wouldn't object to..."

"I'm saying that there is  _no way_  that you're going to develop any real estate whatsoever within the borders of this town. Whatever happens between us now is personal and you will  _not_ use it in any way against me or this town, if only because I would make sure that you would regret something that vile until your dying day."

"I promise," he breathes, not knowing how else to tell her how seriously he takes this precondition, that he couldn't care less about a hundred million dollars more or less if it meant that he would be permitted to touch her and perhaps be touched by her in return.

"Good. Stand up then," she says. Bewildered, he hurriedly does as she tells him to. "I also want you to know that you can stop this whenever you want."

He can't imagine why he would want to do such a thing... until she unabashedly stares at his erection and says a single word.

" _Strip._ "


	2. Chapter 2

Mayor French's request for him to strip echoing in his mind, Gold knows better than to ask her to clarify, to confirm whether she truly means for him to take off his clothes in her brightly lit office. It's not that he opposes to the act itself as such; he mostly fears that whatever lust he might have evoked within her will be gone when she sees him without ten thousand dollars worth of clothes on his underwhelming body.

But her intent gaze leaves no room for negotiation. Telling himself that it would be only a matter of time anyway before she will find out how unimpressive he is once his clothes and his usual bravado are gone, he musters what little courage he has. Forced to place his cane against the wall of her office to keep both his hands free, Gold shrugs out of his suit jacket, carelessly dropping it onto the chair he just vacated.

It's hardly encouraging that she makes no move whatsoever to undress as well. But when he unbuttons his vest, he finds faith in the way she watches him baring himself to her, her eyes wide and slightly glazed over.

"Miss French?" It seems very unsuitable now to address her like he previously did, but he doesn't think that they are on first name base, either.

"Yes?" she asks, to his relief not seeming to be offended.

"This is not a trick, is it?"

He hates how insecure he sounds, how  _desperate_ , but now that he undresses himself in a way he has never bared himself to anyone, he needs some sort of assurance that she isn't going to humiliate him, that the only outcome she has in mind is to leave him exposed and wanting. She might be recording everything with hidden cameras, for all he knows.

"This is not a trick," she confirms, her expression softening further. "It's just you and me. I promise."

He nods in grateful understanding, continuing his task with considerably less reluctance.

His shoes and socks are next, forcing him to lean down awkwardly without the aid of his cane. When he manages to free himself of those and struggle back into an upright position, his own arousal not diminished at all, the mayor is luckily still looking at him with undeniable interest.

He subsequently divests himself of his sleeve garters and cufflinks, fidgeting with trembling fingers before simply dropping the offending items on the floor. Subsequently he takes off his dress shirt, undoing the small buttons one by one while wondering if there'll come a moment when he can take off her blouse in a similar fashion.

Her hoarse breathing is audible despite the distance between them. It gives Gold the additional courage required to unbuckle his belt and unbutton and unzip his trousers, letting them pool noisily at his feet before he steps out them.

Not daring to look at her any longer, he hasn't been this terrified for a long time. Still, he has never remotely been this aroused, so there's nothing other for it than to pull his undershirt over his head as well.

Risking a single glance at her, he reads none of the disappointment he would have expected now that his narrow, barely muscled chest is revealed. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he pushes his boxers to his ankles, wincing when his prick springs free with pathetic eagerness.

"Good," she says, an undeserved appreciation in her voice.

That's the only reason he can just stand there when she takes in the sight of him at her leisure for what appears to be half an eternity, not allowing himself to give in to the urge to at least cover himself with his hands.

"Go sit on my chair," she instructs next.

He does as she says, almost stumbling over the boxer shorts he kept around his ankles for the time being in the not unlikely case the need to dress as quickly as possible would have arisen.

Only when he is halfway through her office, he realizes that he left his cane. He proceeds regardless, telling himself that he will look particularly silly if he were to go back for it, let alone use it... only to find out that walking in his current state without a cane is a challenge in its own right.

To his disbelieving relief, she doesn't laugh at him despite the ludicrous sight he must make, barely able to walk and pathetically aroused.

Breathing heavily by the time he reaches his destination, he sits down on the leather chair behind her desk, finding it still warm from when she sat there herself. He feels ridiculous despite being partially obscured from her view, only more so when she seemingly ignores him and reaches for her bag.

Looking straight at him from the other side of her desk, she unzips whatever pockets are in there, then dumps the contents of her entire bag on the desk between them. He can only watch with curiosity, spotting her phone, keys, tissues, a battered copy of Pride and Prejudice, items he presumes to be feminine... things and lots of other... well,  _stuff_.

"Oh, look what I found," she says, not sounding surprised at all when she takes a small package from her things which he just categorized as 'stuff'. "Do you think we can still use it, or is it expired?"

She briefly studies it before holding the item closer to his face for his inspection. Only then he realizes it's a condom.

"Well, what do you think?"

Recalling the question she asked only seconds ago, his eyes fly frantically over the package. Not knowing that condoms can apparently expire, he has no idea what he is supposed to look for... until he notices, much to his relief, a date printed on the material around it.

"We can still use it," he rasps, not too far gone yet to be aware that the printed date is a year or so from now.

She doesn't appear to be surprised by his response at all. Watching her expression, it dawns on him that she knew all along, or at least since she looked at it herself before showing it to him.

Miss French makes a show of placing the condom on his side of the desk and turning off her mobile phone, then saunters around the desk, towards him. He watches her breathlessly the whole time, his heart all but giving out when she reaches underneath her skirt and pulls her panties down her legs.

He's practically bursting at the seams when she steps out of them and throws the flimsy fabric at him. He catches it intuitively, grunting when he finds the warm lace damp with what must be her desire.

Taking his eyes off her for just a moment, he takes in the sight of her blue panties, which are indeed wet at the spot where they must have brushed between her legs. The discovery that all of this is turning her on just as much as him almost undoes him right there and then.

Looking back at her, the single eyebrow she meaningfully raises informs him that they haven't even gotten started yet. He brings the fabric to his nose in response to her wordless invitation, whimpering at the musky scent of her clinging to the fabric.

When she kicks off those impossible heels of hers, Gold lays her panties next to the condom on the table. No matter how much he would like to, he doesn't dare presume he could keep them as a keepsake of this extraordinary woman and these highly unlikely developments. Besides, it isn't as if he currently has any pockets he could put them in.

With wide eyes he watches Belle as she slowly makes her way towards him, taking her sweet time, before casually clambering onto the chair, straddling him. His fingernails digging harshly into the leather upholstery are the only thing preventing him from spilling himself when she settles herself onto his lap, her soaked folds brushing his cock.

That failing tactic isn't meant to be, though. She takes his right hand in her own and guides it towards her mouth without commenting on the tension or the clamminess of it. Parting her lips, she guides his index and middle finger into her mouth.

Gold stares dumbly at her, grunting at the feeling of the hot wetness of her mouth, of the sight of her as she begins to suck on his fingers and lavishes her tongue around them. It's only too easy to imagine her bestowing the same sort of attention to a whole different part of his anatomy.

"Put them to good use," she whispers, her husky voice alone robbing him of any rational thought when she slides his wet fingers out of her mouth.

It's a relief of sorts when she lifts herself slightly off his lap, giving him some more space to breathe, as it were. However, he's close to panicking when she guides his hand underneath her skirt immediately afterwards, when it finally dawns on him what she wants him to do.

For all his earlier bluster, Gold spoke more out of wishful thinking than out of experiences or knowledge he can actually draw from when he implied that the pleasure he could give her would make this worth her while.

The sad truth is that he wouldn't know how to make her feel good in regular circumstances, not to mention now that he is beyond wound up himself. Rather than his wealth, his considerable determination may have gotten him thus far with her, but erasing his ex wife's taunts and mocking laughter from his memory is something he never achieved.

Hence he's very grateful indeed when Belle doesn't let go of his hand once she's put it under her skirt, when his questing fingertips brush against the amazingly soft and smooth skin of her inner thigh.

She pulls at his wrist almost instantly, leaving Gold gasping when he next encounters the apex of her thighs, damp far beyond her saliva on his fingers.

It turns out that he needn't have worried about how she might like to be touched. Belle continues to move his wrist, guiding his fingers, her little gasps and moans informing him that he's doing something right as he touches her blindly.

His view is obscured by the hem of her skirt, but when his initial fear of disappointing her has somewhat disappeared, the different textures and temperatures where he touches her tell him almost everything he would like to know regardless.

By the time she lets go of his wrist to brace both her hands on the back of the chair that both of them are seated on, he is stimulating her with increasing confidence, finding a way to flicker the pads of his fingers against her in a way that has her grinding against him.

Managing to ignore his own arousal in favor of ensuring hers, Gold is appalled to hear her go considerably more quiet even as his fingers continue to work relentlessly. Still, there is no mistaking the way she moves against his hand, wordlessly demanding more, her body trembling.

He senses that she holds back and he dreads to think that she might do so because she doesn't want him to know how this is affecting her. But he wouldn't dare put that speculation into words, let alone know how he might be able to make her feel otherwise.

Hoping to at least make her feel more secure, he places his so far idle hand on her back, caressing her lightly, making certain to never cease the increasingly rapid and firm touches of his other hand.

Without warning, Belle tenses against him, bringing out a choked scream, yet more liquid coating his fingers and his still exposed groin beneath her. Not knowing what else to do, Gold continues to stroke her lightly, savoring the slipperiness of her ecstasy. He increases his hold on her waist when she remains in the position she is in, her upper body flush against his and her head resting on the arms she has still braced on the edge of the chair behind his neck.

Never in his life he has remotely experienced something this magnificent.

When Belle eventually stops quivering but remains sitting with her face hidden away from him, he withdraws his fingers from underneath her skirt, studying the glistening digits. An unfamiliar urge overcoming him, he brings his hand to his mouth and greedily licks his fingers clean, suppressing a growl when he devours the taste of her.

Her breath still ragged, he supposes that she's still recovering from the pleasure he just managed to give her. His right hand now free and clean once more, he wraps his other arm around her as well, just holding her and caressing her back through the soft fabric of her blouse.

Just when he is about to ask whether she's all right, Belle reaches between them, still obscuring her face behind his neck when she firmly grasps his by now half hard prick.

It should have been paradise to have her stroking him back to full hardness, but the pleasure shooting through him doesn't silence the doubt nagging in the back of his mind – far from it.

When she reaches for the condom on her desk, she finally moves her head opposite his again, but Gold knows better than to assume that her long hair has accidentally ended up all around her face, obscuring her expression from him.

More concerned about her state of mind than whatever she intends to do next, he puts a questioning hand on her wrist before she reaches her goal, making sure to keep his touch very light.

"Will you look at me?" he asks quietly. He may not know what's bothering her, or what caused it, but he's increasingly certain that's something not right.

She falters, lowering her hand, but doesn't do as he requested.

"We stop as soon as either of us wants to. You know that, don't you?"

It feels ridiculous, reminding her that he doesn't want her to do anything she doesn't desire, when she was the one to be so very outspoken about her wants and conditions from the very beginning.

"I don't want to stop," she says firmly, sounding a lot more determined and even eager than he would have expected, given the way she still hides behind her gorgeous hair. "Do  _you_ want to stop?"

"No," he replies, not entirely convinced yet of the sincerity of her suggestion to proceed. "But... let's go slowly, all right?"

"Why?"

"Because... well, it's been a long time for me," he says, lowering his own head. He might as well come clean about this now, make her aware of the doubts he has with regards to himself, for she's going to find out about his in all likelihood very limited stamina anyway if they indeed proceed.

Before he can continue telling her that the two of them shouldn't rush into anything because she appears to have some reluctances of her own, Belle lifts her head, her gaze still lowered.

Gold doesn't notice the latter straight away, far too caught up in her spectacularly flushed cheeks and the thoroughly content curve of her mouth.

"It's been quite some time for me as well."

When he's still processing her words, Belle meets his gaze after all. The look in her eyes takes his breath away. Rather than hesitation and insecurity, there's complete satisfaction written all over her face, more so than he could have imagined even before. It appears that he did the exact opposite of unintentionally making her uncomfortable.

His expression must give away his awe, for she smiles a little at him, all beauty and sunshine. It's the first time he sees her smile sincerely and he can only hope that it won't be the last.

And in that single moment, just like that, Gold realizes that he doesn't want to spend a single day of the rest of his life without her.

"Is this a good moment to tell you that I really,  _really_ like you?" he asks hoarsely, wanting her to know this whatever is going to happen next.

"I'd say it's a very good moment for that," she replies, her smile widening. "And while we're at it, I might as well say that I'm starting to like you very much as well."

Whatever casual aspect there may have ever been about their encounter, it's gone now – and he's happy for it.

He probably grins at her like a complete idiot, but it doesn't appear to matter, for she mirrors his expression, tentatively reaching out for his face. She halts before actually touching him, but proceeds after all at his encouraging nod.

He leans in to her touch as soon as her palm is against his cheek, when she caresses him with something that he can only categorize as tenderness. Longing to touch her as well, he reaches for her too, carefully stroking her warm cheek with tentative fingertips, delighted when she tilts her face to press it more firmly into his hand just like he did himself.

It's beyond ridiculous, really, how they went from animosity to lust to this sudden, unexplainable affection.

"You made me feel amazing, you know," she says quietly, the way she briefly lowers her gaze once more implying a hint of shyness that only makes him adore her more.

"I'm very glad," he manages weakly, a delightful shudder going through him as he recalls how he brought her to climax only a moment ago. "Also because... the way you didn't talk for a while afterwards, didn't look at me... I was afraid there was something wrong."

"There wasn't, not at all. Quite the opposite. I... well, I expected it to be good, to be touched by you, but not  _this_ good. I... I didn't really know what came over me."

She looks down meaningfully at the sticky mess between their bodies. Gold shivers pleasantly once more at the discovery just how much she enjoyed his inexpert ministrations.

"You didn't want me to know how much this affected you," he deduces when her cheeks flush to a yet more fetching shade of red.

"Exactly," she confirms quietly. "It's not just that I don't know you. More than that, fact is that we have very different interests when it comes to business. I can't be entirely certain you won't use this in any way to influence our professional disagreements."

"I didn't mean to ever tell you this, but I decided that I'm not going to develop the project here before we returned to town hall. I would have gone straight back to New York when we arrived back here, but the way you reacted to me... I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to pretend for a short while longer that I still wanted to go through with my plan."

"You enjoyed having a mayor in a miniskirt yell at you?" she asks incredulously.

"I thoroughly enjoyed someone telling me anything other than what I wanted to hear, and very creatively so. And from there... well, it got out of hand, as you have noticed. I truly intended to leave as quickly as possible and never come back when I realized that I enjoyed our shouting match far  _too_ much, but..."

"Leave it to me to accidentally notice that I have unintentionally aroused the untouchable, all powerful real estate developer," she replies, sounding slightly self-depreciating.

"I didn't understand why I reacted like that," he admits, slightly tightening his hold on her. "I still don't. But I must admit that I'm glad that I did; if it hadn't happened and if you hadn't seen it, we wouldn't have been here like this."

His cock twitches happily at the memory of what took place mere minutes ago. Gold looks down between them with a rather embarrassed grin, in the heat of something greater than their physical desire having managed to momentarily forget about the state of undress he is still in.

"How about we continue this conversation later?" she asks, her smile leaving no mistake whatsoever about her willingness to do what she intended before.

"I... I'd love to. But if you don't mind, I'd like to start differently than before."

She opens her mouth, no doubt to ask him to clarify, and his gaze is drawn once more to the lips he has subconsciously longed to kiss for longer than he would acknowledge probably even now.

Seeing what he's looking at, Belle nods in understanding... and nods again, almost challengingly, to signal her approval when he looks at her questioningly.

Something fluttering in the pit of his stomach, Gold closes the few inches between them and experimentally brushes his lips against hers. Despite the fact that they barely know each other, despite the fact that he has never had much experience with this particular act either, both of them almost immediately melt into the kiss.

His hands reverently caressing her curls and her fingers anchored in his hair at the nape of his neck, they explore one another with lips and eventually tongues, swallowing each other's little gasps and moans of enjoyment.

This time, he doesn't stop her when she reaches for him and takes his cock in hand once more. Clearly keeping his earlier request in mind, her grip is considerably lighter and slower than before when she strokes him.

Leaning back against the chair, Gold has to suppress the urge to close his eyes and just let the pleasure roll over him. Instead, he makes himself comfortable with her still straddling him, his gaze going from her hand on him to her face and back again, trying to take in as much of the experience as he can.

Each slightest of change in the gentle pressure she provides has him groaning and gasping, making thoroughly clear for both of them that he's completely at her mercy. Rather than being terrified by the power she currently has over him, he cherishes every second of it.

"I've never had anything feeling nearly this good," he manages to say before he is lost entirely, wanting her to know just how much he enjoys this.

"Let's try to make it better," she says, reaching for the condom again.

"I'd be a very happy man if you would just continue this," he says, the pleasure she provides with her hand somewhat manageable despite its intensity. By now, he dreads to think how soon he will spill himself if their bodies were to be joined like she intends to, no matter how glorious it would of course would be for that very brief moment.

"And I'd be a very happy woman to have you inside of me."

For a moment he can only stare at her once again, blown away by her matter-of-factly stated preference for him to make love to her.

"I... I'll probably barely last."

Having to admit it explicitly as such isn't the bad part; the cruel awareness that she's unlikely to get any pleasure whatsoever out of this if they were to try it is.

"That's all right. Just... like you said, let's go slowly."

"No, it isn't all right," he objects, not understanding at all why she thinks so lightly of this. "How can it be?"

"You just made me feel better than I thought I could. I hope to make you feel the same way and I'd love to find out what you feel like inside of me."

"That... that sounds like a very good reason, yeah," he says sheepishly, nodding.

"In that case, let's do this properly."

Before he can ask what she means, she has hopped off his lap. By the time he realizes what's happening, she has discarded her blouse already. Yet more mesmerized than before, he watches her take off her bra and slide her skirt down her legs.

His mouth falling open as all of her physical beauty is suddenly revealed to him, his eyes fly from her perfect breast to the glistening short hair between her legs, then take in the full picture of her, standing there naked before him.

"You're so beautiful," he croaks, only taken aback more when she returns to him with a bounce in her step, clambering back onto his lap with a broad grin.

Her bare breasts right in front of him are difficult to ignore, and he is very happy indeed to explore this part of her body as well when she nods her approval at his inquiring gesture. Closing his eyes, he dives right in, greedily taking the peak of the breast closest to him in his mouth, enthusiastically suckling on one of her nipples.

Before he gets to the point of wondering how Belle might like to be touched here, she is moaning and grinding herself against him already, both her hands going into his hair to keep him right where he is, as if she fears that there is any chance that he's going to stop with this any time soon.

His right hand blindly finds its way to her currently neglected breast, stimulating it as much as he can, the other going around her body to caress her damp back, to pull her as tightly against him as their current embrace allows.

She rocks her hips rhythmically into his, each movement creating the most wonderful of friction. To his delight, she appears to find pleasure in the way he grunts against her chest, tightening her hold on his hair and moving more fiercely against him each time he does.

When he's on the verge of getting too carried away, he slightly moves his face away from her chest, looking up at her with questioning eyes. She nods with urgency, her eyes glazed over.

There's no reluctance in either of them when she takes the condom off the table after all. Gold's heart is almost pounding itself out of his chest, sweat streaming down his body when she opens the package with some difficulty, her hands shaking.

He throws his head back, groaning loudly when she rolls the material over his by now aching prick, managing to keep his eyes barely open to watch her every move, the lightest of her currently only functional touches having his hips bucking.

When the condom is securely in place, she pauses for a moment, her hand mere inches away from him.

"There's something I'd like to try," she says quietly, licking her lips. "We don't have to, if you don't want..."

"By all means," he brings out. He has no idea what she intends to do and can't begin to wonder what the impact of it might be on his endurance, but he'd love to be part of whatever she has in mind, thrusting her entirely and, indeed, having the suspicion that he'll thoroughly enjoy whatever she ends up doing.

Slightly shifting above him, Belle takes hold of his cock unceremoniously. Her grasp is gentle, but that soon turns out to be the only part of her idea that's relatively tame.

"I've wondered what this feels like," she murmurs, guiding him between her legs.

Gold goes almost cross-eyed and yells out his ecstasy when she rubs him through her folds, touching the very same places his fingers just stimulated. The sight alone is maddening, let alone the sensations spreading from his cock to the rest of his body. He is very, very grateful for the thin barrier between them, for he is rather certain that he wouldn't have been able to last for only a few seconds if he would be bare against her right now.

Through the haze of lust washing over him, only increased by the way she whimpers at the pleasure she takes from him, Gold is somewhat aware that she's trying out different angles and levels of pressure to find out what is most enjoyable to her.

Her free hand balanced on his shoulder now rather than on the edge of the chair behind his neck, her fingers dig into his skin. He hopes she'll leave marks, something to remember her by regardless of how this day might end. He'd wear any scratches of her nails on his skin with great pride.

Soon unable to prevent himself from trusting against her, it's both a relief and a disappointment when she puts some distance between them. Awaiting her next move, he watches curiously when she coats her fingers in her moisture to spread it over the condom, lubricating him.

"Let me help you with that?" he asks, understanding what she's doing, that she's making the next step as easy as possible for both of them.

Bringing his hand back to her drenched folds, he starts rubbing her sensitive flesh again, his fingers exploratory in a different way than before. Keeping his eyes on her face so he can stop immediately in case he spots any sign of dislike, Gold carefully moves his index finger into her.

He groans loudly, only barely overcoming the urge to bury his face in the valley of her breasts when her tight heat envelops him for the very first time. Not allowing himself to wonder how he is ever going to last for only a moment when he's inside of her with the very part of him that he's now helping her prepare for, he slowly pumps his finger into her.

Her eyes fluttering closed and a choked " _yes!"_ coming from her lips, he picks up the pace, looking downwards briefly to revel in the sight of her taking in his finger like this.

"More," she whispers, her eyes tightly shut and her entire body shimmering with a sheen of perspiration. "I need more."

Both of them gasp when he easily slides a second finger into her, her inner muscles clinging tightly around him but the slickness of her making it easy for him to maneuver regardless.

Sensing that it's once more his turn to find out what she likes, Gold starts a new experiment of his own, making careful mental note of each reaction that each particular slide and crooking of his fingers inside her causes, repeating those actions which evoke the most vocal reactions.

" _More,"_ she moans, the way she tugs at his wrist making very clear to him that she isn't referring to an additional finger.

Her eyes are blazing when she opens them again. She shifts closer towards him, dripping onto him, and he coats the condom with the wetness. Mentally bracing himself, Gold knows that  _this is it._


	3. Chapter 3

The never fading awareness that their desire for each other has led to nothing but wonderfulness thus far is the only reason that Gold isn't panicking when Mayor French reaches for him, positioning his tip at her entrance.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?" he asks with ragged breath, to be entirely certain that there's nothing else she would like him to do for her.

The sincere but possibly unwanted term of endearment slips accidentally off his tongue. He almost hopes that it will go by unnoticed in the heat of the moment, afraid that it's far too soon for anything like this, for as far as there'll ever come such a time.

But he's very glad that it turns out that she  _did_  pick up on it when Belle affectionately smiles at him in response.

"I'm more ready than I've ever been. Especially when you keep calling me that."

"I'd love to," he pants, the tip of him already brushing her welcoming heat. "Just... do this the way you want to, all right?"

He isn't aware that she nods in agreement, for Belle has already started lowering herself onto him, slowly but surely taking him in entirely, taking him to paradise.

They are nose to nose, breathing in the same air with shuddering breaths, his nails digging sharply into his palms to prevent himself from bucking into her. They maintain eye contact, for as far as the limited distance between them allows for that at least, until it becomes too much and he has to close his eyes to focus.

His exploration with his fingers might have given him a proverbial taste of what he could expect, but nothing could have prepared him for  _this,_ for her velvet, drenched heat to clench around him this tightly. Belle holds on to his shoulders when there's neither the need nor the space for her to remain holding his cock.

She sighs deeply when he's all the way in. That slight movement alone increases the friction yet more, leaving him only barely able to hold back a curse at the almost unbearable intensity of it all.

"Sweetheart..." he mutters, beyond awed by what is happening.

Rather than replying, she tightens her hold on his shoulders.

"How do you feel?" he asks hoarsely, not quite knowing what to think of the focused, somewhat tense look on her face. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it's just a bit much for now. But it feels mostly good."

"Let's stay like this for a while, then."

"How do  _you_ feel?" she asks, giving him another one of those beautiful little smiles.

" _Incredible_ ," he simply says, not knowing how to put it more accurately into words.

Keeping his hips as still as possible, he finds that there no longer is a need to clench his fists, or at least not for the time being. Longing to hold her, to be as close to her as he can be, Gold rests both his hands on her hips, caressing her lightly.

She leans towards him, the light pressure of her breasts against his chest having him groaning again before her lips reach his. The sweet chasteness of their subsequent kisses belies the fact he's buried in her to the hilt.

By the time his hands start moving over the back of her body, caressing her hair and back and hips - any part of her that he can reach, really – Belle begins to move ever so slightly.

Belatedly realizing that he can put his fingers to much better use elsewhere, he maneuvers his right hand between them, seeking the spot which had her reaching her peak earlier. Between his shaking hand and the change in position, that's more difficult than he hoped.

"You don't have to..." she says when she realizes what he attempts to do. "I already..."

"I  _want_ to. To try, at least."

After all, he can only hope that he'll be able to hold on long enough to send her over the edge again.

"I'd love that," she says, her smile broadening.

Before he can wonder how he might find out for himself how to pleasure her like this, she takes his hand and shows him how to touch her once more.

Remaining as still as he can, he stimulates her with his fingers when she starts to rock lightly against him in what seems to be an experimental manner. Gold is beyond delighted when the combined efforts have her gasping and moaning in unmistakable ecstasy, every single movement of her around him driving him equally wild.

"Move with me," she urges, strongly clenching her inner muscles around him to encourage him.

The onslaught of sensations that follows too strong to do otherwise, Gold intuitively bucks up into her, having both of them cry out.

By now knowing better than to interpret her reaction as anything other than his own, he repeats the action before she has the chance to ask, to yet more overpowering results.

They find a rhythm of sorts, her movements just as unpracticed as his, and it couldn't have been better. While he sloppily kisses whatever parts of her he can reach, she nestles her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder when her body begins to shake uncontrollably once more, kissing and even biting him lightly.

Rather confident that her peak is nearing just as much as his is, he continues the ministrations of his fingers against the most sensitive part of her with renewed vigor. At the same time he allows bliss he didn't know existed to wash over him, pulling him under.

Her hips grinding against his and words spilling from her lips, loudly, have him moving only more rapidly and more deeply. Belle was quiet before, holding back because of the unfamiliarity of the feelings he somehow evoked within her and because she didn't entirely trust him, but all of that reservation is gone now.

Similarly, Gold himself isn't afraid to grunt and gasp and  _whimper_  against her skin. He may not entirely understand it, may not know  _why_ , but he knows that she doesn't object to his helpless outcries… that, if anything, it only encourages her further to  _let go_.

They are a frantic, uncoordinated mess of slick skin, damp hair and heavy limbs. Above all, there's an ache burning between them, both of them striving to hasten her climax and delay his, just long enough for her to lose control entirely before he does.

Her eyes firmly closed while she gasps almost breathlessly into his ear, her inner muscles move irregularly around him, more strongly so than before. With the last ounces of his endurance, Gold firmly grazes the spot between her legs he has found to be the most sensitive, shuddering when she clamps down onto him.

Belle  _shrieks_  when she unmistakably finds her release, clinging tightly to him with shaking arms when her entire body convulses and spasms. Unable to hold back any longer, he trusts into her once more, going more deeply than ever before in the by now almost impossible tightness of her.

Throwing his head back as unequaled pleasure explodes within him, Gold can only let it happen, let the hurricane of bliss wreck havoc on his body as he gives over completely to something that is wholly unfamiliar and infinitely stronger than himself. He's vaguely aware that Belle is whimpering against him, moving slightly to prolong both their pleasure.

Lying limply back in the chair, his body trembling with aftershocks, it takes him a long minute to gather the strength to open his eyes again. It doesn't help that he isn't all that happy to do so; if it were up to Gold, he would stay in that quiet cocoon of complete satisfaction forever, his body entirely spent but still able to support hers as she remains right where she is, with him still inside her, her forehead resting against his.

Despite the sudden heaviness of his limbs, he manages to put his arms around her, pulling her more closely towards him. He just holds her, his hands resting on the small of her back while his heartbeat and his breath return to a speed that isn't nearly as alarming as before.

Belle eventually moves slightly away from him, smiling apologetically.

"I'm getting cold," she says, leaving Gold to curse himself inwardly for not realizing before. His body was all but blanketed with hers, but there was nothing but his motionless arms to keep her back warm.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, just let me..."

He looks around for anything to wrap around her. His suit jacket seems like a good option, but it's out of his reach.

"It's all right," she says, following his gaze. "Let's get cleaned up first."

In his sated state almost having forgotten that he's still inside of her, he watches Belle shift herself off him, both of them letting out a sigh of disappointment when he inevitably slides out of her.

Settling herself on his knees, she takes some tissues from the pile of things on her desk, cleaning herself up. Managing to take off the condom without making a complete mess, he follows her example.

"Let me take that," she says, reaching out to combine her messy bundle with his before he can object and offer to take care of this himself.

Granted, he's rather grateful that he isn't the one having to venture off the chair just yet. Watching her get on her feet, her legs actually shaking when she takes a few tentative steps, he doesn't want to imagine how he would fare if he were to attempt that, especially with his cane still placed against the wall on the other side of the office.

Belle disposes the condom and soiled tissues in a bin and then proceeds to the other side of her office, retrieving his overcoat. His eyes are solely on her with each step she takes, both admiring and memorizing her beauty as much as he can. Even if he were to see her many more times like this, Gold is convinced that he would never be able to get only slightly used to her magnificence.

"This should keep us warm," she says, settling herself onto his lap again and wrapping his coat around the two of them.

"Perfect," he mutters, happily embracing her again. Having some strength back, he slowly caresses her back, savoring each inch of skin he touches. He sighs happily when her hands find their way to his side, stroking him lightly as well.

Her head resting on his shoulder and her breath warm against his neck, he nuzzles her throat, deeply breathing in her scent. Gold hadn't thought that anything could be better than what they just shared, but this quiet aftermath is to him at least as pleasant.

"We should probably talk about this," he remarks after enjoying the quiet bliss between them for a considerable time.

Despite what they just did, and how much both of them liked it, there's no glossing over the fact that he has never done anything like this. He wouldn't know how to proceed, especially not in such a way that might increase the chance that this won't be the last time they are together. Not to mention that they've just made a rather spectacular mess of their professional relationship.

"We should, yes. Best not to put it off," she says, sighing, burrowing more deeply into him. "But before we begin, can I just say... I thought you attractive from the moment I first saw you."

"You  _what_?!" he asks in disbelief. No one could possibly think  _him_ attractive, especially not the gorgeous, extraordinary woman currently in his arms... not even now.

"I think you're very handsome," she says, sitting up slightly so she can caress the side of his face, her other hand twining into his hair. Even Gold can't deny that the touches are appreciative. "You were insufferable too, of course, but you remained professional. I mean, you don't want to know what some of my own people throw at me because I'm mayor of this town 'despite' my gender and my age. But you didn't do any of that. You didn't ogle, or leer."

She looks intently at him, scrutinizing him as if he's a complex puzzle she's intent on solving.

"I hated you for coming up here with all your money, with your plans of which you  _know_ that they will destroy this town as it is now. You were extremely arrogant and infuriating. But once I felt that you realized that you couldn't win but kept trying regardless, almost as if you  _wanted_ me to yell at you and deflect your petty threats..."

Despite everything they have shared together by now she blushes slightly at the memory, biting her lower lip.

"You were enjoying it, too," he gasps, realization dawning.

"I did, yes. I don't understand it, not at all, but... I enjoyed it, very much so. In a... well, in a way I would never have expected."

Gold swallows heavily, recalling the dampness of her panties right after she found out about his arousal and had him strip off all his clothes right in front of her.

"I enjoyed it too, as you obviously saw," he says, sheepishly. "I thought I kept our pointless argument going because I found it highly entertaining, but in retrospect I imagine I..."

She watches him with eager anticipation. Clearing his throat and very carefully considering his words, he hopes that his explanation can show her that he really,  _really_ likes her, and that he hopes with all his heart that whatever they have won't be over after today.

"There was no doubt in my mind that you would never want to have anything to do with me, no matter how much I wanted that to be otherwise. Without realizing, I might have reasoned that the only way you would ever touch me was if I would make you so angry that you would throw yourself at me to personally do something about 'that arrogant smile' or my 'fancy suit'."

"I might as well would have, eventually," she says affectionately. "I'm just very glad that I got to know you in a whole different way before we reached that point."

"So am I, although it's beyond me why you gave me that chance."

Gold looks longingly at her, cupping her cheeks in the reverent palms of his hand. It's still nearly impossible to believe what played out between them since the moment they entered her office... since the moment he met her, really.

"I still don't know why I did what I did, when I saw you like... well."

Both of them chuckle at the memory of her leaning over her desk to firmly address him, only to find him half hard.

"I knew then that you felt the same way as me, but I didn't trust you at all," she continues. "I suppose doing what I did came from wanting to teach you a lesson in humility and wanting to... well, wanting  _you_. I hoped to find out whether you wanted me too or that you only intended this to be part of your attempt to get that bloody building permit. I suppose I wanted to know how crazy I could drive you before you would give up... whether you would give up at all."

"It was never part of any of my plans to get that permit," he says, wanting that to be as clear to her as it can possibly be. "I've done a lot of things in my life that you probably won't like, but I wouldn't do anything like that."

"I know that now, yes. But when we started... I didn't truly expect that you would just let me do what I did. But you seemed to  _enjoy_  it, and then you touched me the way you did... I wanted to go further, but I didn't quite know how to go about it. I wasn't in control anymore, but I felt that I had to be to avoid giving you an advantage of sorts over me."

Gold nods in recognition, recalling what he at the time mistook for hesitation right after she, much to his own surprise, ended up shuddering and gasping with ecstasy in his arms.

"After we talked, I did trust you," she adds. "I didn't have to be in control anymore... far from it. It probably won't surprise you that I didn't expect you to be so considerate and generous as you turned out to be."

"I'm hardly... apt," he mutters, not quite managing to look at her.

"You were absolutely wonderful. I was engaged to a man once who thought of himself as very apt, as you call it, who wasn't open to any of my suggestions and requests. Let's just say that the engagement didn't last very long... and not because I married the idiot."

She looks at him, considering, then continues talking before Gold can fully process this confirmation that she truly enjoyed being with him.

"Something tells me you also have a very nasty ex in your life."

"My ex wife," he says, sighing and shivering unpleasantly at the memory. "It was a long time ago, but... I didn't think I would ever want to be with somebody again, or that they wanted to be with me for that matter."

Belle doesn't say anything in response, just shifts yet closer towards him, her touch becoming comforting.

"What about you?" he asks quietly, with considerably reluctance. He fears asking the rather personal question almost as much as the answer he might get. "Is there anyone for you?"

"You mean anyone other than the man who just made me feel better than I thought I possibly could -  _twice_?"

He's the one blushing now, and not nearly as prettily as she.

"No, other than you there isn't anyone," she continues. "I broke off the engagement almost two years ago. I didn't even want to think about dating at that time. Then I was elected mayor, and..."

"You didn't have much time for a social life?" he suggests when she falters, imagining that she puts a lot more effort and time into her job than a lot of her peers, simply out of love for her people and her town.

"No, because I came to the conclusion that this is a small town and that there isn't anyone I am interested in romantically. Let's just say I hadn't taken smug real estate developers from New York into consideration at that time."

She laughs happily, but then her smile falls.

"I suppose you're leaving for New York soon?" she asks quietly.

"I planned to spend the rest of the day and as much of the upcoming weekend as necessary here, to survey the area I was convinced I would have a building permit for by now. But since that didn't work out, it appears that I have a free schedule. For the next three days, I'm wholly at your disposal, Madam Mayor."

"And after that?" she asks, more vulnerable than he has known her so far, hinting at the question they have been dancing around.

"I hope we can continue to see each other frequently, to get to know each other and... enjoy each other." He takes a deep breath, deciding that it's time for him to be brave, to make the suggestion he wouldn't have dared to even consider earlier this afternoon. "Sweetheart, I would very much like us to be together much more often... for us to... date."

The last word is unfamiliar on his tongue, not feeling entirely right for their situation, but there is indeed nothing he'd love to do more than what he just proposed.

"I'd love that," she simply says, beaming at him. "I'd love that very much."

He grins back at her, pleasantly bewildered by how easily this goes... and that it's only a very small step from here to the question he probably has been wanting to ask her all along.

"Belle, would you object if I asked you out for dinner tonight? I'd love to take you to that diner you showed me earlier."

"I wouldn't object at all," she replies, just like that, as if there's no reason whatsoever she wouldn't like to go out with him.

"Good," he dumbly says, hardly able to believe his continuing luck.

"We have a deal," she says, smiling broadly once more. "And if you behave yourself, you can even spend the night at my place."

Rather than trying to formulate a response, he eagerly returns her kiss when she presses her mouth firmly against his. Gold may not have gotten the deal he initially wanted, but this arrangement is infinitely better than the one he counted on getting this morning.


End file.
